Mark -- the driving stats are based on two holes per round. I think the tour chooses holes the players will use driver on. Maybe conditions are tougher now, which makes them hold back more on their drives. But do you have any evidence that is so?
I looked at another driving stat: % of drives over 300 yards. As with distance, it was virtually the same ten years ago as today.
Mark,
That's why "driving distance on Tour" doesn't have much to do with nothing.
On most golf courses, on average, over time the ability to drive the ball 340 yards has a very small but significant value over being able to drive it only 300 yards. For situations where you need it, that 40 extra yards is good but usually it's no big deal.
In comparison, the ability to hit the ball near the hole from 240 yards versus being able to hit it the same distance from the hole from 200 yards is greater. Extra clubhead speed produces extra distance and height and allows the use of a more lofted club from the same distance. That's a much bigger deal on long approach shots than the 10% extra distance and height on tee shots you also get from that extra power.
But "driving distance" is easy to bang on about so that's what people like to pretend is important.
This year proximity to the hole from 200-225 yards is 41' 7" for the 100th ranked player. Ten years ago it was 41' 11". Virtually the same.
From 225 to 250 yards, the 100th ranked player actually got the ball slightly closer than the 100th ranked player today.
Doesn't look like the pro's are hitting the ball any nearer the hole now than ten years ago.
Just based on stats, they aren't hitting the ball further off the tee. Their approaches aren't getting closer to the hole. Unless someone can show how the conditions have changed, I'm not seeing any evidence of real distance gains -- with any club.
I also disagree with Brent that driving distance doesn't matter much. I think it matters a whole lot.